Purchase A Hero's Journey
About the Author
Chris Dooley is a retired teacher and basketball coach with over 30 years of experience at many levels. Chris has coached basketball at the elementary school, high school, university, and club levels. He was also head coach of Ontario's provincial team for four years and has been actively involved with Canada's national team. Importantly, Chris has walked the walk and talked the talk of the virtues of Olympia Sports Camp, having coached there for over 30 summers. In this book, Chris captures the message delivered to campers and coaches alike at the camp, sharing it here for past and future Olympia attendees and their families. This is Chris's second book; his first book, Can't Miss: The Kevin Pangos Story, was published in 2015. Chris also writes for his own blog, Tuesdays with Dave (https://tuesdayswithdave.blogspot.com/), also about Dave Grace and Olympia Sports Camp. Chris lives in Burlington, Ontario, with his wife, Joy. They have two adult children, Nicole and Daniel, and son-in-law Bryan Mayes.
BY CHRIS DOOLEY
A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp is a compiled history of Olympia Sports Camp in Huntsville, Ontario. The hero’s journey is Olympia founder Dave Grace’s adaptation of the teachings of philosopher Joseph Campbell. The basic tenet of the hero’s journey is that heroes all go through a 12-step journey—leaving their comfort zone toward the unknown, with inherent challenges along the way, where they meet allies and ogres and are sometimes called upon to slay dragons that get in the way of their goal. The foundational belief is that we are all heroes on our own path and who we become on our journey is more important than the accomplishments we achieve.
A Hero’s Journey chronicles the people of the land of Olympia, from its indigenous origins to the European settlement process, to the use of the land by the Norwegian Air Force during WW ll. The book is built on a collection of stories related to mentorship, sports psychology, and community building, with stories of past campers, coaches, and others with a longtime association with Olympia.
Testimonials
"A Hero’s Journey; Beyond Little Norway and Camp Olympia is a compelling read for anyone who has ever heard about this special place called Olympia. While ultimately it is about the hero’s that created the Olympia community, Chris Dooley has done a magical job of weaving the compelling history of this place called Interlaken with the inspirational philosophy of Joseph Campbell’s A Heroes Journey. Dave Grace, the staff and alumni of Olympia are eternally grateful to Chris for the time and effort he has invested to capture this legacy."
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- Greg Rogers
Associate Director, Olympia Sports Camp
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"Just got your book for my birthday. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for writing the section on Kelly Buchanan and Marnie. They and thier mom and dad are special people who have meant alot to my whole family. I miss Kel as she was as good a person as she was a player. Thanks for the memories of my 15 years at Olympia Cheers"
- Rick McLellan
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"I was so excited to receive my copy of A Hero's Journey today! Can't wait to read it. A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp
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Thanks, Chris Dooley!"
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- Jackie Birch
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"I have to admit, I am not a big reader. We are just finishing up a 2-week vacation and finally got around to finishing up your book.
Although not an “Olympia” guy, I was so touched, moved, and inspired by the messaging of the book, Dave Grace, as well as the many stories that relayed the awesomeness of Olympia. The personal journeys of campers, counselors, coaches, and families had me both laughing and crying. I did not attend Olympia, but was impacted by many that did. Through them, I hope that in my career, I inspired young students and athletes to “take the bat off their shoulder”. I include you as one of those that impacted me as a coach and a person. For that, I am truly grateful.
I am a testament to this book having an impact on anyone on a journey."
- Doug Ranton
Why Buy “A Hero’s Journey:
Beyond Little Norway and
Olympia Sports Camp”
The idea for this project started as a history of the people that make up the 50-year span of Olympia, with the amazing journey of the Norwegian Air Force use of the land during the second world war, but it grew to be so much more, with lessons and perspectives to help guide so many people on their journey. This is a story that must be read.
In 1949 Joseph Campbell wrote “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” exploring mythology and religion to capture the journey that all heroes took on the path to the goal they sought. Dave Grace took the teachings of this book and adapted them to create 12 steps in what he has coined as the Hero’s Journey, with teachings in growth mindset, mentoring, taking on life’s challenges, and becoming a hero in our own journey.
The key word in the title of this book is Beyond. If we are to follow our destiny, we need to look beyond the here and now. There is a societal scorecard that measures success in wins and losses and other temporary things like money and fame, and instant gratification becomes the goal. In truth, any journey is about growth and change. Any success is based on values learned and shared with others. It’s who we become on our path rather than just the destination. Growth only occurs outside our comfort zone and that takes courage and conviction.
Beyond also indicates a sense of being a part of something much bigger than ourselves. The hero leaves the ordinary world, encounters challenges they must overcome, meets allies and ogres who challenge and define the path, and then return with newfound knowledge to share of their talents. It is in this return where the true value of the journey can be understood as the hero, who was mentored by others, now becomes the mentor. This process makes for a coherent community of everyday heroes.
Beyond also ties in with the fact that history is not limited to just what we think we know about a place. A Hero’s Journey looks at the values lived not only at camp, and the RNAF, but also through the span of time, from the indigenous beginnings to the European settlement process and to modern-day Interlaken, Ontario.
Just as coaching basketball or any other field of endeavour is just a vehicle for sharing of these values and impacting the next generation, the stories of the amazing people of Olympia Sports Camp are just vehicles for the reader to take their understanding of their place in the world to another level. Like any good book, the reader is taken on the journey shared by many and as a result gain a greater understanding of themselves.
Just as Joseph Campbell taught us about the truths of mythological heroes, A Hero’s Journey shows us the realization that in fact we are all heroes of our own journey. Just like the batter that swings at the pitched ball, there is comfort and challenge in knowing that where we are going is up to us. And that is Beyond where we are now.